Bobbin-cleaner.



W. LONZO.

BOBBIN CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1913 1,090,999. Patented M21224, 1914 2SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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W. LONZO.

BOBBIN CLEANER,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1913. 1,090,999. Patented Mar. 24, 1914 2SHEETS-SHEET 2.

inairnn s'rarns rarnn'r orrion WILLIAM LONZO, 0F rrrcHBUne,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 FITCHBUBG BOBBINCLEANING MACHINE 00., A CORPORATION or MAS- SACI-IUSETTS.

BOBBIN-GLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 24, 1%14.

Application filed Ma 21, 1913. Serial No. 768,951.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM LONZO, a citizenof the United States, residing at Fitchburg, in the county of Worcesterand State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulBobbin-Cleaner, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for stripping filling or roving frombobbins.

The principal objects of the invention are toprovide a machine of thischaracter capable of being constructed with a plurality of units, eachrequiring such simple motions on the part of the operator that a singleoperator can take care of four or more of these units, thus reducing thelabor cost very materially, and to provide a machine having a sort ofhopper for receiving the bobbins so arranged that the bobbins can bethrown into it without the necessity of the operator putting his handinto the hopper or into the space which is passed over by the movingparts of the machine, thus eliminating all danger, and all fear, ofinjury to the hand of the operator; also to provide a construction inwhich the bobbins can be stripped efficiently, although held in ahorizontal position, and in which the filling stripped from the bobbinis discharged down through the bottom of the hopper and the bobbin alsois preferably automatically discharged at sub stantially the same point.

A further object of the invention is to provide for taking up thefilling discharged with the bobbins after it has been removed fro-m themand winding the same on a rotary member so that the filling can becollected in one place and disposed of in a simple and convenientmanner.

The invention also involves improvements in details of construction andcombinations of parts as will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is a plan of a portion of a machine constructed in accordance with thisin vention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a plan onenlarged scale of one of the bobbin hoppers and connected parts andshowing the roving partially stripped from a bobbin; Fig. 4 is asectional view on the line 4:& of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a front eleva tionof the jaws through which the bobbin is forced; Fig. 6 is a sectionalview on the line 66 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view on theline 7-7 of Fig. l.

The machine is shown in the drawings in a form in which it comprises amain frame 10. This frame supports a shaft 11 which is provided withordinary loose and tight pulleys 12 for receiving the power from a belt.A belt shifter 13 is indicated.

On the shaft 11 is a pinion or gear 14 meshing with a gear 15 on a shaft16 which consequently is driven constantly while the belt is on thetight pulley. This shaft 16 is provided with a plurality of segmentalgears 17 fixed thereon, one for each unit of the machine. Each of thesegears is designed to mesh with a rack 18 on a slide 19. These slidesrest onrolls 20 mounted in bearings on brackets 21 on the frame 10.

To each of the slides 19 at the bottom is connected the end of aflexible belt 23 adapted to wind on a drum 24, these drums being fixedto a shaft 25 parallel with the shaft 16. This shaft 25 is provided withcoiled springs 26 for normally keeping the shaft in the position shownin Fig. 7. On the end of each slide is a plunger 27 passing through, andsupported by, a bracket 28. Slidably mounted on brackets 29 are rods 30each having a plate 31 on the end provided with a soft face forreceiving the impact of the slide 19. Each of these rods is providedwith a buffer spring 82 and a collar 33. The bracket 28 carriesone endof a hopper 37 for receiving the bobbins. This hopper is provided withguides 38 which assist in properly locating the small end of the bobbinin line with the plunger 27 and the plunger moves forward also serve asguides for the end of the plunger.

It will be obvious that as the shaft 16 rotates continuouslv in onedirection, indicated by the arrow in Fig. 7. the teeth 011 the gear 17engage with the teeth on the rack 18 once during each rotation and forcethe plungers forward positively. Then the gear teeth move out of meshwith the rack teeth and the springs 26 bring the slides back veryrapidly against the buffers. By adjustment of the collar 33 along therod 30, the teeth of the rack 18 may be stopped in proper position to besmoothly engaged by the teeth of the revolving gear 17.

On shaft 16 there is a cam 40, (Fig. 6) this cam being designed toengage and operate a lever 41, passing through a slot in a stationarybracket 42 and having projections 1-3 for loosely holding it at thatend. In other words, the lever is fulcrumed on the bracket. On the otherend this lever is provided with a flexible connection or belt 44 whichpasses under an idler 45 supported to turn on brackets 46 carried by theframe. This belt passes around a drum 47 (Fig. 3) which is mounted on ashaft 48 provided with a torsion spring 49. The several drums areconnected to a reciprocating rod 50 by means of a plurality of theseflexible connec tions 4-4:. Each spring 49 is held at one end by a claw51 on a collar secured to the rod 48, the other end of said spring beingfixedly engaged by the hopper 37.

On the shaft 48 is fixed a jaw 57, this jaw swinging with the shaft fromthe full line position in Fig. 5 to the dotted line position. Under thisjaw is a stationary jaw 58 with which the movable jaw cotjperates.

The stationary jaw 58 is provided with a recessed edge 59 substantiallyfitting the shank of the bobbin and over which the bobbin is forced bythe plunger 27 when the jaw 57 is down in position, the jaws 57 and 58cotiperating to remove the waste.

The placing of the bobbin in position in the hopper causes the large endthereof to engage a lever 60 (Fig. 4:) which is normally held in aninclined position by a spring 61. This lever has a stop 62 adapted toengage a lug 63 on a bracket 64 which supports one end of the hopper forlimiting its upper position to that shown in Fig. 4. The lever isprovided with a guard 65 on the end.

Below the opening 39 in each hopper is pivoted a sheet metal plate 70,(Figs. 1 and 41) the lower end of the same being held up by a spring 71.This receives both the waste and the bobbins.

The shaft 11 is provided with a pulley 7 3 which by a belt drives apulley 74: on a parallel shaft 75. On this shaft are a series of wheels76, one for each unit of the machine. These wheels have notches 77 intheir peripheries. This shaft rotates constantly when the machine isoperated.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The shaft 11 being set intooperation the operator throws the bobbins into the hopper 37 one at atime with their large ends extending over the jaw 58 and their smallends between the guards 38. Upon each operation of the shaft 16 each ofthe plungers27 moves forward at a measured rate of speed, and when eachone starts forward the movable aw 57 connected with the same unit of themachine is allowed to move downwardly under the influence of its spring49 into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5. As the plunger movesfor ward, it forces the bobbin out through the space between the twojaws and against the lever 60, pressing said lever backward to a nearlyhorizontal position. As soon as the teeth 17 pass beyond the rack 18 thespring 26 forces the rack back and withdraws the plunger. At the sametime the jaw 57 commences to move up. Now there is nothing to supportthe small end of the bobbin, but the large end is supported'by the guard65 or other part of the lever 60 which is pressed by the spring in aforward upward direction. At first this presses the shank of the bobbinup against the jaw 57 and forces the small end of the bobbin downthrough the opening 89. Thereafter as the jaw 57 moves out of the way,the spring 61 swings thelever 60 up so as to slide the bobbin downthrough the opening through which the filling has already passed. 7

It will be observed that .a feature of importance lies in having themovable one of the jaws, namely, 57, swing upwardly to an uprightposition, where it will be entirely out of the way and will, therefore,not interfere with the proper and ready positioning of the bobbin in thehopper. This construction enables me to arrange the hoppers inhorizontal position with their open sides facing upwardly, in whichposition they are most convenient for receiving the bobbins, asisevident.

The constant rotation of the shaft 75 causes the wheels 76. to engagethe filling as its slides down the plate 7 O and the edges.

of the notches 77 engage the filling threads and wind them up on thesewheels. As the bobbins engage the wheels 76, the pressure communicatedthereto, together with the weight of the bobbins, depresses the plate 70and allows the bobbins to pass under the wheels after which theyare'discharged from the end of the receiver into a basket or otherreceptacle below. These wheels 76 have to be cleaned occasionally, whichis done by running a knife along the notches to cut the threads from thewheel and permit them to be released and taken away. In this way it willbe seen that a single operator cantakew care of a comparatively largenumber of units as all he has to do in the ordinary operation of thedevice is to deposit a plurality of bobbins in as many receptacles. Ifall the plungers work simultaneously, as indicated in the drawings, allthe bobbins should be deposited before the plungers start forward, butit is within the scope of the invention especially when a large numberof units are employed to have the plungers work one after another sothat the operator can deposit his bobbins in sequence. The only otherattention that has to be paid to the machine is to clean the wheels 76occasionally, and, of course, the necessary repairs.

Although I have shown and described only a single embodiment of theinvention, I am aware of the fact that many modifications can be madetherein by any person skilled in the art without departing from thescope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do notwish to be limited in these respects, but

What I do claim is 1. In a machine for stripping bobbins, thecombination of a horizontal hopper having means for receiving andguiding a bobbin, and having a discharge opening in the lower sidethereof, a plunger movable into the end of the hopper horizontally,means for periodically forcing the plunger positively forward into thehopper, means for yieldingly retracting it after its forward motion iscompleted, and means for discharging the stripped bobbin through saidopening.

2. In a machine for stripping bobbins, the combination of a hopperhaving means for receiving and guiding a bobbin, a plunger movable intothe end of the hopper, means for periodically forcing the plungerpositively forward into the hopper, means for yieldingly retracting itafter its forward motion is completed, and an adjustable buffer forchecking the retraction of the plunger and properly positioning it.relative to the operating means.

3. In a machine for stripping bobbins, the combination of a hopperhaving a guide for a bobbin, a stationary jaw at the other end of thehopper for receiving the end of the bobbin, a movable jaw adjacent tothe stationaryjaw, means for moving the second jaw toward the first jaw,a plunger, means for moving said plunger into the hopper to force thebobbin longitudinally between said jaws, means for retracting saidplunger and liftin the movable jaw, and means beyond said jaws formoving the bobbin back over the fixed jaw into position to drop throughthe bottom of said hopper into a receiver beneath the hopper.

41;. In a machine for stripping bobbins, the combination of a hopperadapted to receive a bobbin in horizontal position, said hopper having apassage through the bottom thereof, means for forcing the bobbinlongitudinally of the hopper, means for simultaneously stripping thefilling from the bobbin, and means for thereafter 1noving the bobbin inthe reverse direction into position to drop through the passage in thebottom of said hopper.

5. In a machine for stripping bobbins the combination of a hopperadapted to receive a bobbin said hopper having a passage through thebottom thereof, means for stripping the filling from the bobbin andleaving the filling in position to drop through said passage, and meansfor thereafter moving the bobbin into position to drop through saidpassage.

6. In a machine for stripping bobbins,

the combination of a hopper having a pas sage there-through, means formoving the bobbin and simultaneously stripping the filling therefrom andleaving the filling in position to drop through said passage, a pivotedlever, and a spring for normally holding the lever in inclined positionbut allowing it to swing toward horizontal position when the bobbinengages it.

7. In a bobbin stripping machine, the combination of means for moving abobbin longitudinally, jaws for engaging the bobbin and forcing thefilling therefrom as the bobbin is moved, a hopper for receiving thebobbin having a passage therethrough for discharging the filling, meansfor discharging the bobbin through said passage after it is stripped,and a receiver below the passage for receiving both the bobbin and thefilling.

8. In a bobbin stripping machine, the combination of means for moving abobbin, jaws for engaging the bobbin and forcing the filling therefromas the bobbin is moved, a hopper having a passage for discharging thefilling, means for discharging the bobbin through said passage after itis stripped, a receiver below the passage for receiving both the bobbinand the filling, and means adjacent to said receiver for winding up thefilling and separating it from the bobbins.

9. The combination with means for stripping the filling from a bobbin,of an inclined plate for receiving the bobbins and the filling separatedtherefrom, and a rotary wheel adjacent to said inclined plate havingnotches therein for engaging the filling and winding the same thereon.

10. The combination with means for stripping the filling from a bobbin,of an inclined. plate for receiving the bobbins and the fillingseparated therefrom, a rotary wheel adjacent to said inclined platehaving notches therein for engaging the filling and winding the samethereon, and a spring for holding the plate against said wheel.

11. In a bobbin stripping machine, a retating thread catching andwinding member, and an inclined plate, said parts being so constructedas to permit separation relative to each other so that empty bobbins maypass under the rotating member while roving separated from said bobbinswill be caught and held by said member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set mv hand, in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

IVILLIAM LONZO.

WVit-nesses ALBERT E. FAY, C. Fonnns'r Wesson.

Gunter at this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Eatenta Washington, D. (1."

